You’ve been brushing your teeth twice a day, but you’ve noticed your gums are a bit more tender than usual. As soon as your gums continue to swell, you figure that you’ve just been brushing too hard. But then your gums start to bleed. This is a red flag that you likely have gingivitis.

Gingivitis may develop between dental checkups but there’s good news: switching up your dental routine can reverse gingivitis.

What is Gingivitis?

Gingivitis is a common form of gum disease that causes bleeding and inflamed gum tissue. If left untreated, it can lead to the loss of gum tissue and eventual decay of the tooth’s bone. While gingivitis doesn’t necessarily mean tooth loss, if you ignore these tell-tale symptoms, you are putting your smile at risk for a more severe form of gum disease: periodontal disease, which not only impacts your teeth but can also have negatively effect on your overall health.

I think I have Gingivitis: What Can I Do?

Once you’ve seen signs of gingivitis, it’s time to reassess your oral health routine.

You can help keep gingivitis from progressing by:

• Visiting your dentist. Regular dental cleanings are key to keeping gum disease at bay.
• Your dentist may suggest routine deep cleanings.
• Brush and floss regularly. Did you know that he way you brush your teeth impacts the safety of your oral health?
• Antibiotics, mouthwashes, and oral treatments can successfully treat this form of gum disease.

Is There a Cure for Gingivitis? 

Fortunately, gingivitis can be treated in the dental office and at home. Brushing, flossing, and rinsing your mouth at least twice a day reduces gingivitis. Schedule regular visits with your dentist for check-ups and cleanings. Want to step up your oral health routine?

Here are few extra steps you can take to care for your smile:

• Rinse your mouth with warm water after heavy snacks and meals. Pastries, sugar, beans, meat, bread tend to stick to the gums and hide in hard to reach places.
• Use mouthwash to push out hidden food particles.
• Consider a water flosser to achieve that “after the dental office” clean feeling.
• Use a toothbrush that has the appropriate bristle texture to clean your teeth without damaging the gum lining.  If you’re suffering from gingivitis, soft bristles are the best.
• Replace your toothbrush bi-monthly to prevent germs from going back into your mouth. Throw away brushes with bent bristles because they can erode tooth enamel.

With a proper at-home regimen and regular dental visits, you can keep gingivitis away and even prevent it from progressing into more severe forms of gum disease.

Who doesn’t love that minty taste that comes from a swig of mouthwash? Not only does it refresh the palate, but it may also contain different health benefits. Look at the label of your favorite mouthwash and you’ll probably discover that it’s a teeth whitener or plaque zapper. But are these claims true? Is your mouthwash really good for your overall oral hygiene?

Before you crack the seal on your new bottle of oral rinse, see below for a list of pros and cons of using mouthwash:

The Pros:

• Reduce cavities: Rinsing with a fluoride rinse can help reduce cavities.
• Ward off gum disease: When someone suffers from gingivitis, the gums and tooth sockets can get inflamed or even infected. Using an antibacterial mouthwash, like one with chlorhexidine may help prevent periodontal disease.

The Cons

Mouthwash is not a cure all by any means. In fact, there are situations when it should be avoided:

• Canker sore irritant: If you suffer from canker sores, reaching for your favorite mouthwash may cause more harm than good.
• Mask an underlying problem: Chronic bad breath is often a precursor for an underlying dental issue. Rinsing with mouthwash will not alleviate severe halitosis; it only masks the problem.

If you’re not sure which what type of mouthwash best suits you, think about your current dental hygiene needs. If your goal is fresher breath, you can ask your dentist, family or even friends for suggestions.

Most mouthwashes come in various flavors like mint and cinnamon. You may also opt for mouthwash that is specifically formulated to control plaque or kill bacteria.

Keep in mind that rinsing with mouthwash without brushing is like mopping a floor without sweeping it first. The only way to remove plaque and tartar is to follow a proper dental regimen. Even though it’s best to brush after every meal, it’s also perfectly okay to brush and rinse every morning and night before going to sleep.

The Bottom Line

Mouthwash should not be used as a substitute for proper dental hygiene. Even if it’s helpful is reducing the risk of cavities and periodontal disease, it needs to be used in conjunction a proper oral hygiene regimen and regular dental checkups.

When your children are babies, teething can be a trying time for both parents and children alike, but once they turn 3, most children have their primary teeth. Around the age of 6 years old, baby teeth start to fall out to make room for their permanent adult teeth. By the time your child turns 13, all their baby teeth have fallen out and their adult teeth have come in.

Some children get excited when they have a loose tooth, especially if they are waiting for the Tooth Fairy. On the other hand, other children may be afraid that losing their tooth will hurt. Losing baby teeth is far less pain than having them come in, but it can still be challenging-particularly if the loose tooth seems to be hanging on forever. Although it’s best to let nature takes its course and have the tooth fall out on its own, there are times when divine intervention is needed.

So, what’s the best way to help remove a loose tooth that doesn’t involve a string, a doorknob and a slamming door? Check out five easy ways to extract a loose tooth sans string and a doorknob.

1. Wiggling the tooth:Have your child wiggle their loose tooth with their tongue or using a back-and-forth motion with CLEAN fingers. This is probably the most painless and can easiest way to help the process along.
2. Eating hard foods:Foods that are harder to chew, such as crisp apples or crunchy carrots will make the entire process quick and painless.
3. Using dental floss:If the tooth is very loose but won’t come out naturally, try gently wedging dental floss in between the gum line and the tooth and yank outward. For a better grip, you can use a flossing pick.
4. Gently use tweezers:Another way to remove your child’s loose tooth if it’s very loose is using clean tweezers. This works well when the tooth is very loose but doesn’t won’t come out. You can gently wiggle the tooth free with sterilized tweezers. This is also an excellent way to avoid possible bacterial contamination from busy little fingers.
5. Use Sterile Gauze: If you’re apprehensive of putting point tweezers in your little one’s mouth, you can use a piece of sterile gauze to grip the tooth and gently twist it. If this causes pain or if the tooth doesn’t seem to want to move, you can try to loosen it a little more with gentle twisting motions.

If all else fails and the tooth won’t budge, simply let it fall out on its own. This is the best option even for those impatient kiddos waiting for the Tooth Fairy! Remind them that even though they are eager to see what they will find under their pillow, trying to remove a tooth that isn’t ready to come out can cause dental issues down the road.